In a tweet late Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump said director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff.Mulvaney will replace John Kelly, who is leaving at the end of the year."I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration," Trump tweeted.A former Republican lawmaker from South Carolina, Mulvaney also served as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Mulvaney will not resign from the Office of Management and Budget but "will spend all of his time devoted to his role" as acting chief of staff, and deputy director Russ Vought will handle day-to-day operations and run the budget office.Trump naming Mulvaney ends a week of speculation over who would replace Kelly.Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took himself out of contention for White House chief of staff on Friday as Trump's chaotic search for a new chief inched forward with the feel of an unfolding reality TV show.Christie cited family reasons in a statement, saying that he was asking Trump to remove him from consideration. He had met with Trump on Thursday to discuss the job, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.Trump said Thursday he was weighing five possibilities. He met Friday with his 2016 deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, who was seen as the current favorite by some outside allies.Trump met with Mulvaney on Friday to discuss the looming government shutdown. Mulvaney was previously said to be under consideration for chief of staff, though he had signaled a lack of interest in the job.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In a tweet late Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump said director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff.

Mulvaney will replace John Kelly, who is leaving at the end of the year.

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"I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration," Trump tweeted.

A former Republican lawmaker from South Carolina, Mulvaney also served as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Mulvaney will not resign from the Office of Management and Budget but "will spend all of his time devoted to his role" as acting chief of staff, and deputy director Russ Vought will handle day-to-day operations and run the budget office.

Trump naming Mulvaney ends a week of speculation over who would replace Kelly.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took himself out of contention for White House chief of staff on Friday as Trump's chaotic search for a new chief inched forward with the feel of an unfolding reality TV show.

Christie cited family reasons in a statement, saying that he was asking Trump to remove him from consideration. He had met with Trump on Thursday to discuss the job, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....

Trump said Thursday he was weighing five possibilities. He met Friday with his 2016 deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, who was seen as the current favorite by some outside allies.

Trump met with Mulvaney on Friday to discuss the looming government shutdown. Mulvaney was previously said to be under consideration for chief of staff, though he had signaled a lack of interest in the job.